Get ready for Rising Star! Those of you in the Eastern/Central/Mountain time zones can WATCH and VOTE LIVE!
If you have not already, download the Rising Star Phone App At This Link.
Ugh. That was worse than I even imagined it could be. How difficult is it for a singing show producers to understand that the talent has to come first? If the singing isn’t good, all of the gimmicks and fancy pants technology will not make a show.
Out of the thousands of singers the casting people saw, they couldn’t do better than these mostly mediocre performers? The best singers tonight were Sarah Darling, who was the most experienced of the bunch, having had a record contract and radio play. She’s well known around Nashville, as her “we have mutual friends” exchange with Brad Paisley made clear. You can read all about her musical career HERE.
Out of the inexperienced singers, Jesse Kinch was the best, vocally. But he, like the rest, represented an archetype we’ve already seen on singing shows –and frankly done better (Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks). Nearly every singer seemed like a 2.0 version of something we’ve seen before. There was Josh Peavy (pale imitation of David Archuleta), Lisa Punch (every R&B diva singer, ever, except boring), Maneepat Myra Molloy (Jackie Evancho, except terrible), Daniel & Olivia (Alex & Sierra, only talent, chemistry and charisma free), Beyond 5 (One Direction if they took a hit of acid). Colin Huntley (Sam Woolf 2.o) and Summer Collins (every quirky The Voice contestant–if they were pitchy and boring).
The only half-way original contestant, was 16 year old Macy Kate. The producers tried to pass her off as an accident. She was “randomly” chosen from contestants who auditioned via Instagram. Supposedly there were 5 of these Instagram acts in the audience who thought they were only there to watch. Yeah right. So they made a big deal about plucking her out of the audience and it was super awkward. She’s got almost 114K subscribers on YouTube channel and over 4 million views. I don’t believe for a minute she wasn’t cast. The “surprise” just happened to sing last and blow everyone away.
The “expert” panel spent most of their time during the singer’s performance harassing each other to vote or not vote. NOT entertaining. By the time shows like American Idol, AGT or The Voice go live, the panel has been together for weeks and have had a chance to gel. These 3 obviously don’t know each other. The practically non-existent banter is awkward. At one point, Brad joked that he could tell Bill Clinton was Kesha’s type. It didn’t really get better than that.
Ludacris is meant to be the hard ass ala Simon Cowell or Harry Connick Jr. He didn’t vote for everyone, and waited until the last minute for some. He didn’t sugar coat his critiques. Kesha is Paula Abdul–she found it hard to vote no and said something nice about everyone. Ugh. Her voice is so whiny. She’s going to get old, fast. That leaves Randy Jackson for Brad. And it fits. Although he’s a talented country singer and songwriter, he can only talk in cliches when judging a singing contest. Keith Urban >>>>>>>>>>>> Brad Paisley as a reality show judge.
Josh Groban was an incredibly hyper-active host. While an experienced host like Ryan Seacrest puts the cast and audience at ease, Mr. bundle-of-nerves has no such powers. He fared better as a mentor behind the scenes. But in front of the camera, shepherding a complicated live show? No.
The pacing was poor, with way too much chatter in between singers. At 9:30 only two mediocre acts had performed (and inexplicably advanced). There was a lot of dwelling on the technology, which was necessary, I suppose, but it still dragged the show down. The voting was mildly amusing, but a little confusing. I kept forgetting to check in before each contestant, which is only available up until the singer begins to perform.
Here’s the thing: The ability to vote on the spot and see results is fun, but it’s not going to make or break a singing competition. Great talent HAS to come first! The gimmicks can only serve to differentiate what you’re offering from the rest. The Voice producers understand this. Ken Warwick and Nicolle Yaron do not.
By the way. I voted NO on everyone, except for Lisa Punch (I felt sorry for her) and Sarah Darling. The two I missed because I didn’t check in on time? Would have voted no on them, too.
***
As the singer(s) perform, the viewers at home will vote via phone app. If votes hit a 70% threshold, the wall will rise and the act moves on to the next round. Expert judges, Kesha, Ludacris and Brad Paisley contribute 7% of the votes each. Host Josh Groban will also be coaching the contestants.
I’m totally voting tonight! Maybe I’ll vote NO on everyone! Ha.
Host, Josh Groban welcomes us to Rising Star. They are about to do what NO SHOW HAS EVER DONE BEFORE. Are you ready to find the next music superstar? Yes. But I doubt it’s going to happen on this show.
The prize includes a record contract with Capitol!
Josh mentions this afternoon’s Portugal/USA soccer game JUST TO PROVE THAT THIS IS REALLY REALLY LIVE.
Josh introduces us to “THE WALL” like it’s a living breathing thing. IT will stand between US and the DREAMS OF THE CONTESTANTS. I cannot wait to crush some dreams!
The judges are introduced. Josh apologizes to the censors on behalf of Kesha ahead of time. The App sort of live blogs the show for us. Have you downloaded yet? The link is above. Luda lu cris, or whatever we’re supposed to call him (it’s Luda), glowingly introduces Josh Grobin. Next comes the question and answer period including ALL THE CLICHED RESPONSES YOU’VE EVER HEARD. Josh reminds us that Kesha has written hits for other artists! TAKE HER SERIOUSLY MAN. Brad talks about performing in Afghanistan over Memorial Day with the President. Brad jokes that Bill Clinton is Kesha’s type, and she does not seem to be amused. Neither am I. Ugh at the slut shaming of Kesha.
Josh explains how the West coast is going to be cheated of really having an impact on the voting. They’ll see their votes on a split screen three hours after everything has been decided. Supposedly, if the vote is close, the West Coast can push an act over the top.
There’s no decided performance order. Josh calls out their names. They have to be ready.
Joshua Peavy, Age 28, Soperton, GA – “Everything I Do I Do It For You” – He’s a youth pastor, married with two sons. He’s a good ole boy. There are no jobs where he lives. He wants to have an impact on the youth in his community. Josh is conducting the interviews. Damn I MISSED SAYING NO TO THIS GUY because I didn’t check in. We learn when the judges vote yes. They all did. Joshua has a fine voice, but he’s hopelessly and boringly AC. I am not enjoying this. Sooo generic. The talent better improve. Brad says he has heart “It’s the hardest thing” to perform first, he says. Kesha calls it an amazing way to start the night. Sincere, genuine and touching. Ludacris has so much respect for the first performance. “You seized the moment” he says. “What you did was very serious business.” – Josh Advances – 87%
Joshua Peavy – Everything I Do I Do It For You… by IdolxMuzic
Lisa Punch, Age 21, Brooklyn, NY – “How Will I Know” – She’s originally from Guyana. Her grandmother moved the family to the USA. Her family is dirt poor, living in only a couple of rooms in NYC. Oh, who could resist this backstory! OK. I feel a little sorry for her, so I voted yes. She’s singing a slowed up version of the song that eventually kicks into a retro-ish beat driven performance. She’s very pitchy. And again…generic. There isn’t anything particularly special about this girl, except that she’s got a strong voice. She makes it to 80%. The coaches vote yes again. Ludacris calls her the total package. Brad promises she’ll eventually have a tour bus. He advises that she watch her pitch. Kesha loves her attitude. She had fun watching her. Lisa Advances – 80%
Lisa Punch – How Will I Know – Risng Star (Week… by IdolxMuzic
Not jumping out of my seat over this talent!
Josh reveals a twist. There’s someone sitting in the audience. They have no idea that their name is going to be called to perform. This person is an instagram auditioner. The instagram auditioners are all in the audience, but think they are only there to watch. That can’t be true. Josh picks Macy Kate. Way to ambush someone who is possibly not ready? She’s only 16 years old. She looks confused as she heads backstage to prepare with Ray Chew. That was awkward. Kesha tells a story about breaking into Prince’s house to hand him a CD. Remarkably, he did not call the cops.
Maneepat Myra Molloy, Age 16, Los Angeles, CA – “Con Te Partiro” – Maneepet is originally from Bangkok. A video her dad put on line of her singing when she was only 7 got 3 million views. Dad says they had nothing when they arrived in America. I guess the parents figure the daughter can support them. Hooray. She’s an opera singer. She’s got a very pretty, lyrical voice, but no power at all. This is pretty terrible. She can’t even sing on pitch. Brad and Kesha vote for her. They have no standards. OMG. She got 73% without all 3 judges. Ludacris loves her voice, but says she had no presence. Kesha loves her story, has potential and could be a massive star. Uhm. Brad wants to see what she can do when she sings a song in English. (Lol. wut?) He says he voted for her potential. Josh almost called her eliminated. I don’t think he expected her to advance. I missed check in again, but I would have voted no. Maeepat advances – 73%
Maneepat Molloy – Con Te Partiro – Risng Star… by IdolxMuzic
Daniel & Olivia, (Daniel Wolfe, Age 24 and Olivia Thai, Age 25) San Gabriel Valley, CA – “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic – OMG it’s the Alex & Sierra knockoffs! Olivia is even Asian, like Sierra. Eh. Again Generic. We’ve seen it before. The voices are average. I’m not seeing any chemistry between these two. WOAH SO PITCHY. The novelty has worn off. Home viewers are getting stingy with their votes. These two ONLY get 6%. All the experts voted no. Ludacris hated these two so much, he was attempting to keep others from voting yes. Ludacris said it looked like they were having fun, but the performance was like something you’d see at a karaoke bar. Brad calls it unpleasant, but sweet. Kesha had a hard time saying no. She loved their enthusiasm and energy. She tells them not to quit. Daniel & Olivia eliminated – 6%
Daniel & Olivia – Counting Stars – Risng Star… by IdolxMuzic
UGH. Every single performance has sucked.
Macey Kate is backstage with Ray Chew preparing her song. We got an awkward glimpse of THAT.
Jesse Kinch, Age 20, Seaford, NY – “I Put a Spell on You” – He announced himself proudly as a throwback. Zzzzz. As a kid, he was a loner, focused on music. He’s looking for an opportunity to kickstart his career. Jesse is very mild mannered. He promises America something a little different. Please. We need that right about now. Apparently, his singing voice is very different from his soft speaking voice. He plays guitar. He’s not bad. Bluesy. A big, growly, gravelly voice. He’s a good singer, but we’ve heard this before. Nothing special. Generic. Sigh. Ludacris looks very excited. He and Brad vote yes. Kesha follows. He achieves 79% pretty quickly. He ends up with 92%. The highest score so far. Josh makes a pot joke about Jesse’s fans. Luda says Jesse exceeded all his expectations. He used every second. Kesha calls it “kind of sexy…It was really good. It reminds me of old rock n roll.” Brad says he’s sure he killed viewers at home. He wants to see his live guitar playing. Jesse Advances – 92%
Jesse Kinch – I Put A Spell On You – Risng… by IdolxMuzic
Beyond 5, Nashville, TN (members of Beyond 5: Zac Love, Age 19; Tanner Myler, Age 19; TJ Ryan, Age 16; Patch Crowe, Age 19; Ammon Soloasa Tuimaualuga, Age 17) – “Wake Me Up” – The boys live together. JUST LIKE THE MONKEES. They play ping pong in the dining room. OMG. This lead singer sounds like he sucked in a bunch of helium. VERY ANNOYING. Who can listen to this? They should all just sing in harmony and forget the solos. The lack of good lead singing ruins this group. They have 90’s style choreo going. How retro. Brad and Kesha vote Yes. But, they only made it to 46%. Kesha says they were so damn damn cute. She loved their harmonies. Brad thinks they’ll outsell all of us. NOPE. Ludacris loves their potential, but their solos were not good (Yep). Beyond 5 eliminated – 46%
Beyond 5 – Wake Me Up – Risng Star (Week One) by IdolxMuzic
Sarah Darling, Age 31, Nashville, TN – “Merry Go Round” – She’s the most experienced of the contestants. She had a label deal and songs on the radio. She’s gotten close, but only. She’s looking for a new way to break through. She’s the best so far, easily. Great song choice and vocals. It’s sad watching her slum it on this show. It’s beneath her. She would have been better off on The Voice. Brad, of course, votes yes. Ludacris and Kesha also vote yes. Sarah eventually makes it to 89%. Brad says it’s great to finally meet her. They have mutual friends. Great song, great performance. Ludacris waited til the last minute because he didn’t like her song choice. Hmmmmm. Kesha was waiting for the big note. OY. NO BIG NOTE NECESSARY KESHA. Sarah Advances – 89%
Sarah Darling – Merry Go Round – Risng Star… by IdolxMuzic
Josh announces that 1 million apps have been downloaded.
Colin Huntley, Age 16, Georgetown, TX – “Sing” – His dad played in worship bands in church. Grandad was a pro blues pianist. He recently passed away. His church is going to be rooting for him! He’s your basic White Guy With A Guitar. He’s singing the Ed Sheeran hit, pretty much the way Ed sings it. Except not. He really needed to do something different with this song to get my attention. His falsetto is off. I’m still totally bored out of my mind. These contestants aren’t bringing the originality. We’re looking at Sam Woolf 2.0. None of the judges voted for him. He only got 38%. Come back next year. Oh. Wait… (as if there will be a next year). Kesha thought he chose the wrong. song. Brad thinks he needs more experience. Ludacris admires his energy, and encourages him to keep trying. His falsetto was off. Colin thanks everyone for the opportunity. Colin Eliminated – 38%
Colin Huntley – Sing – Risng Star (Week One) by IdolxMuzic
Summer Collins, Age 18, Fayetteville, NC – “Classic” – She’s a student and singer songwriter! At age 9, she lost her mom to leukemia. Music was her medicine. When Josh asks her how she’s doing, she says she’s hungry. She’s all quirky and stuff! Eh. She’s got a nice voice, but again. NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT. Generic. Boring. Boring. Boring. Pitchy. Pitchy. Pitchy. The judges are looking a little bored too. Oh. Ludacris votes no. So does Brad. Kesha says yes. Summer stalls at 40%. Kesha liked her potential and energy. Ludacris liked her energy, but didn’t think the notes she was hitting (or not hitting) matched that. Brad guesses that she’s a songwriter. Maybe she needs to stick to interpreting her own lyrics, he says. Summer Collins Eliminated – 40%
Summer Collins – Classic – Rising Star (Week One) by IdolxMuzic
Macey Kate – Age 16 – St. Petersburg, FL – “Me and My Broken Heart” – The “surprise” performer is saved for last, to give her the opportunity to “rehearse.” Ray comes out to chat about rehearsal. He says they worked on the arrangement. He gave her a few pointers. The most original singer tonight, she seems completely prepared. So I’m calling bullshit on the “surprise.” A little pitchy, though. Kesha and Brad vote yes first. They harass Ludacris until he does too. She’s very professional and has performed on stage before, obviously. She ended up with 93%. Wow. This Macey chick is the plantiest plant that ever planted. The whole deal feels like a set up. Macey advances – 93%
Macy Kate – Me & My Broken Heart – Rising Star… by IdolxMuzic
Hey West Coast! You have the opportunity to save the four contestants who were eliminated! Except, not really, because they didn’t even come close to the 70% threshold.
hello everyone
Go Team Groban! lols
THE sound again drowning out grobans voice
It would be funny if someone sang Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd.
Does anyone have a live stream link?
get to the singing already
Need facebook or twitter to vote
http://www.ilive.to/view/46476/ABC_live_streaming-live-stream-channel
I thought ken said their would be no filler
They’re stalling to give people time to DL the app. Only 9 performers tonight.
Josh Groban is coming across a little boring as a host.
I don’t really like Kesha but that was a rude comment by Brad Paisley about Bill Clinton being her type.
2 minutes until music? More like 10 minutes.
He was joking, but it did come across a little harsh.
I know, kind of a low blow, actually.
Okay, the app tells me who the first singer is before the “surprise” announcement of the name. I have no problem with this.
Oh wow! Thank you very much.
Josh Peavey name and he looks familiar, maybe he was on one of the other shows.
Commitment to Jesus, lives in economically depressed region with high oxycontin addiction, works with teens… we’re lead with sob stories.
I noticed that too.
I voted NO
NO
Decent voice, but I don’t see a star. It was a no from me.
I think everyone is going through based on the novelty of it
Voting is annoying, it said I had to check in and I thought I was already checked in. Not that impressed by him anyway.
I voted NO. Oh well.
87% Whaaat?
Voting’s easy-peasy but I’d like it better if everybody agreed with me. ;-)
My thoughts exactly. There must be a very small amount of people logged in to vote.
I do kind of like that we can vote right at auditions.
Too lazy to vote, gotta see if anyone is worth it.
Since it’s 70% of those checked in as the minimum to advance (so 87% of those checked-in voted yes), the number checked in shouldn’t matter.
Their tastes in music do, but a burst of overenthusiasm that this is happening at all is, I guess, to be expected.
So far, this show seems like one giant gimmick.
This show has no credibility. That guy was below average and all the judges voted for him? This may be the last time I watch…
Thank you. I was worried they might have somehow missed a cliche. But no!
Wouldn’t you think a lot of people would just try a vote to see how it worked?
Here we go with judges blowing smoke up a mediocre performance. Keisha, Luda, Brad you actually think this guy has star quality. I’ll bet my life savings he doesn’t. Plus as critics have noted, the voting has serious problems. The judges have too much power on a show supposed to be about audience votes. The 3 judges get 21% so they can pass someone who’s got 49% of the viewer votes. YEP, less than half the viewers want you & you’ll still go thru. If this first guy is what we’re getting, this is sameoold.. How many southern pastors have we gotten b4? Judges really shouldn’t have so much of the vote. And not sure what happens in future rounds. Is the wall like the blind auditions?
Actually, yeah.
I get cranky when it takes too long to explain how things work. I don’t care, I just want to hear some music.
Me too. If Keisha thinks he’s got star power she needs to go back to rehab. I’m ready to Uninstall the app. My app has also already forced closed once… Oh and here we go with sob story backgrounds. Yep Ken Warwick ii sounds familiar
I’m wondering what they are going to sound like when someone is awful.
I bet she’s in like flynn…lol
Immigrant from impoverished country! Lisa Punch will SEE your economically depressed South and raise you childhood with lack of plumbing PLUS 13 people in a two-bedroom apartment!
I don’t have a large television set. Is there something strange on Kesha’s right nostril?
I thought same thing… They’re taking a hit Israeli format and ruining it with bad contestants and judges
whats with these songs
It would be hilarious if the wall raised for every singer… Talk about a disaster
Close your eyes and pretend you’re a judge on the voice
Be funnier if it it didn’t raise for anyone
It might, unless they have some selected bad performers.
NOPE
I enjoyed the guy’s voice.
REALLY REALLy ugh
No
Lol… Everyone is going to go through unless theyve hot some William hung.. The judges really can control who goes through, esp since they see how the totals are going
Why? I’m happy with the format as it is.
Don’t sing Whitney!
Another no from me. You should only sing a Whitney Houston song if you are as good as her and 99.9% of vocalists simply aren’t.
What they didn’t say is that the judges control the first fifty percent of the vote total.
Me too.
so Brad Paisley doesn’t care about her being off pitch? O-kay then
Meh,,…still waiting for someone to wow me.
Yeah, that was la little strange.
They each get 7%.
Ken Warwick
Lisa has potential, I voted yes. Not perfect but she has a good voice and some stage presence.
or if you totally flip it and make it something amazing and fresh, like Sam Smith did with this same song
First two singers are about as generic as reality show singers get..
Seriously??? I missed that.
I’m enjoying the app more than the show. It’s like a read-along book!
I’m close to deleting the app & changing channels of this is the quality of the performances & the “judging”
no and no to the first two performers. I hope they are saving the best stuff at the end or something. So far, 0 for 2. People are being very nice tonight.
Like Keisha
Are those first two fodders for the next round? lols
Yes, either completely rework the song or don’t do it. But when you try to go note for note with Whitney Houston, you will lose every single time.
He ain’t no star. You can go to any church or karaoke bar & hear people with a nice voice. That doesnt make them a star. No one’s gonna remember thesec2 in the morning
You guys need to chill! Atleast the two who went can actually sing. Lisa was slightly pitchybut jeez you ppl are soooo negative
I think this set could get boring pretty quickly.
I’m not downloading the app because I’m not gonna vote. But so far this show isn’t giving me a reason too watch it again after tonight
The judges get 21% though
Please bring back Sing your Face Off… at least I was entertained by that show. :)
This is the creme de la creme of singing contest aficionados. Very selective taste.
The app keeps force closing on me
She looks like a star.
Right, but that still has nothing to do with the number of people logged in.
16? She looks 20 something
I saw this girl open for one of my favorite bands last March….Macy Kate’s really good
Ken Warwick must have recruited the folks who Jlo didn’t put through
Yes, Groban, we believe your questions will get dumber as the night goes on. That’s a gimme.
Ray Chew has the band?
Is it me, or did that girl seem totally unsurprised that she was plucked out of the audience to perform #plant
What’s with Kesha’s teeth…
I thought Ken Warwick didn’t like filler? This show has probably had at least 25 minutes of filler so far.
He’s awful.
This show has tooo much filler. It’s moving too slow for me.
Current bar on commitment to music career is now set at “I broke into Prince’s house to give him my demo.”
Did we just go for the entire section between commercials with no singing? YES WE DID.
Looking at her FB page….She had to cancel her Stageit for “something special”https://www.facebook.com/MacyKateMusic?ref=profile
The first singer was rising as they said his name, also. He was on his feet before his name was completed. Possible, but not so likely.
zzzzzzzzzz….Maybe I need to go back to my Little Couple marathon. Will and Zoey are more entertaining than this. :)
I hope they are saving better contestants for later and sorry but I hope that sometimes the wall doesn´t rise. People at home should be tougher critics! Saying yes to everyone is not fun.
Isn’t Keisha the one with the genius IQ?
40 minutes and two people sang… yikes!
36 minutes and 2 performances? (boring ones at thst).. Not great pacing Mr Warwick.
Well, if he had his app open, he saw that it was time to check in for him!
I agree with that.
Yes, but being in the judge’s chair for a singing competition is equivalent to a moderate blow to the head in its impact on coherence.
People are playing with the app tonight. They should get tougher as they get more used to it.
Summer television is pretty desperate. Libraries love it.
I know! Not good.
I’m finally logged in the app (had Twitter account issues) but I haven’t heard anything that would make me vote yet.
Zendaya?
I see Ken Warwick brought the dreaded backstories with him to this show
The Israeli version had backstories, too. The top 8 from S1 were a full house of excellent sob stories, ones that make us Americans look like amateurs at being pitiable.
I am voting no this time.
Third no from me.
Why is the audience saying yes to everyone? Damn..
Sorry, no to Thai teen singing opera.
josh Groban is no Ryan Seacrest.
This is very boring…….
A judge sets the example that it is possible to vote NO without being struck by lightning! Heed the lesson, voters!
No one wow me yet and they all went through. It’s like the pace of a snail.
omg this show is just horrid the judges? or whatever they are .. are just useless the host is the mentor? and sooooooooooooooo much useless chatter n filler and cheesy stories
it will have to get much better for me to waste more time on it lol
I love the Little Couple
It felt like 2 hours already
So what happens when every mediocre singer makes it through?
What’s our vision of this show? Is it one where there are no back stories, very few commercials, very little chatter from the “expert judges” and contestants who take the stage, “sing their faces off”, we vote and that’s it? What would make it more exciting than it is?
Thing is, there is no time to get invested in backstories. They can tell them, but does anyone really care yet?
This show is seriously dragging. Please speed it up Uncle Ken. I have ADD!
Alex and Sierra 2.0?
Less funny alex and Sierra.
um there were male female duos on TV before alex and sierra
If that’s our vision of the show, we’re expecting it to be radically different from the original, which made a big deal of backstories.
sing already
What I don’t like about the voting is that you have to check in for every contestant, and vote before they are done performing. I would rather hear the whole performance before deciding if I want to vote or not.
Saved from vocal coach obscurity and given back her dreams by finding the right man… eep.
Yup. The pacing is way too slow.
Awful. America best not pity vote
whoa, pitchy duet
Now I wish they would stop
No
nOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Finally someone’s going home!
No the show really starts.
Nope
WTH? Just wth?
Send these two home pleeeeeeeeeease!
THE AUDIENCE FIGURED OUT HOW TO VOTE NO!!!!!
Moral victory.
Ludacris thinks he signed up for The Gong Show…
Ludacris – yes. You nailed it.
See Olivia your parents were right. Keep your day job.
Ludacris compares them to drunk karaoke. He’s not wrong.
I think the judging is horrible.
Thank you Luda!
But they even look like them. I think he was better than she was. Her bouncing was very distracting and her voice actually wasn’t very good…he should go solo.
Teen boy band gets automatic no from me
Who knew Ludacris would arise as the most competent judge of the three?
1) A variety of staging for the singers. 2) Short on backstories until they are there long enough to need a plot line. 3) Witty judge commenters. 4)Concise, to the point comments 5) Strong performances, maybe working with mentors before them (something to involve us).
Teen boy band?
So Kesha is going to be the next Britney….
Maybe they will get better with a few more shows. They are all kind of stiff and awkward now.
how long is this on for
Another 1 hour?
I need to hear those. Americans have heard just about every disaster that can befall man.
I want to see a rapper
he was just as pitchy as she was.
She’s in like flynn
70’s WGWG? David Cassidy
WGWG alert
lol RED ALERT!
Blatant appeal to the older viewers who think there has been no good music since 1980… and he’s humble and has a guitar.
I see. Probably that is something that they will pull out of their sleeves later on? I don’t know. I am just here for the ride. Not very invested. It’s your typical singing show, the only variation being the inclusion of the audience in the selection/dismissal process. I am not suffering from singing show overload so it’s all good. Felt bad for that couple who could not carry a tune. Poor things but somebody should have bluntly told them that they were plain awful.
jacquie lee from the voice owns this song so he has be good
sing already
Josh can get old quickly as host. Will he have enough bad material for a season?
Goat vibrato alert
Finally someone who is GOOD!
This guy sounds like Casey Abrahms to me
ok, this guy is worth voting for
Yes, yes, and YES on this kid. He has got the blues down pat.
This guy is really good.
And puka beads.
Cute boy is good!
Dear heaven, NO. But they want him to advance. Evs.
The first good performance of the night.
I like this kid´s personality too.
Meh. Overrated and predictable.
LOL!!!
That might be a different show.
He is!
Please replace Keith Urban with Luda
He could shred his vocal cords if he’s not careful.
True. But he has potential. I hope he goes far.
Yes! Although Keith was much better this season compared to his first year.
He felt it, but nowhere as good as Jacquie Lee’s version.
Anyone know his score? I missed it. Hope it was the highest as he certainly was the best of the night so far.
that was not a perfect vocal (I heard a bit of the goat vibrato thing), but it was still way better than anyone else so far
Me too.
It was the highest!
Maybe now all of you hatin on this show will shut your mouths!
It´s finally getting better!
92%
Whoa. Thanks much. I think it was deserved.
92%. It’s the highest score so far.
Best part of this show so far, there was a commercial for an animated movie about cars and one of them said she left me for I hybrid, I didn’t hear him coming.
That’s pretty bad….
Thank you Ken Warwick
Luda is excellent.
Best comment of the night.
Very chatty. Joan Rivers might be better.
Actually, that was good. Someone in some ad agency made some big bucks with that.
Their cute. So obviously, their going through.
LOL, having to check in for every performance is more work than this show is worth.
A fun backstory! Messy boys go shopping.
Boys go for Cute as Puppies as break from wall-to-wall suffering.
Wait a minute, so Josh Groban mentors them before they go on stage?
Soo bad
They sounded a bit better in rehersal
NOOOOOOOO
This boy band is just ok.
App glitches and never asked me to check in, so no voting for me on this hot mess.
Don’t care much for the first kid’s voice. Nope, no fond of this group at all.
Sooooo nasal
Not liking this group that much.
That first guy sound like Kevin Covais. :)
Country boy band not very good.
I suspect this is the wrong audience for boy bands.
No liking these voices.
The lead singer’s voice ruined the performance.
NOOOOO
Oh thank God buh bye
All I heard was a mouth full of helium.
ouch
These five have the worst voice of the group front and center,
Simon would have liked these boys.
This is also the wrong boy band for audiences.
Now I am liking the fact that America is finally saying no..
They sounded so much better on their youtubes…strange.
Kesha … please go away
That, too. I kept thinking maybe if they were cuter…or something.
Expert? None of Kesha’s reasons for voting yes had anything to with their singing.
Brad and Kesha have no taste.
and not country at all
Ludacris hated the solo. YES.
That’s why I don’t like her judging. Ludacris I mostly agree with
Ludacris is really giving good comments. Since I’m sure this show is going to tank, I hope he gets picked up by TV. He’s proving to be quite good at this.
4 yes, 2 no so far
Sounds about right
Yeah, I’ve agreed with most of his comments.
Maybe if the lead singer didn’t sound like a badly programmed voice simulation? Even tween girls have standards.
What´s up with Brad saying yes to everybody?
who would have thought luda would actually be good
Yes. Ludacris has really surprised me with his critique, especially when he has voted no.
If they were supposed to be country it was worse than I thought.
Ke$ha’s all about star potential and marketability. I agree with most of her choices and comments.
He’s the yes man…lol
I would have thought Brad Paisley would have been the best judge on this panel. Completely wrong. Ludicris has been spot on.
It would have been better if they sang better.
Tammy… YES
Yeah, I’m over my disappointment that Paisley turned down Idol a couple seasons back. He’d be as spineless as Keith Urban.
Those things are definitely important, but there also has to be some talent there. Not to say that the guys didn’t have any.
SHe probably does understand this because I’ve never understood why she’s so popular.
Luda is representing for sure. His comments has been on point all night.
I think some people who sign up to be judges worry too much about offending their core audiences. They want to be the “nice” judge, not the competent judge.
Sarah’s singing Kacey Musgraves’ song.
Oh man. I already don’t like this gal, lol. Stupid name, looks like a Barbie, and she must be country. She is going to have to be really, really something for me to approve.
time for Sarah Darling. I’m not sure if Brad Paisley knows her personally, but if he does, would he have to eliminate himself in terms of voting yes or no?
she’s very talented. I saw her at CMA Fest
Sarah Darling isn’t pitching herself well.
That Jesse guy was freakin awesome, everyone else not great so far
Agreed.
As much as I like this song, it’s not a singer’s song.
This song is just not good for singing shows.
This song is doing nothing for this girl. There’s no room to soar. Sorry Sara, but it’s a no from me.
i don’t think she’s that good. She kind of swallows her words.
Sarah…zZzZzz
I voted no, but of course she went through with Ludacris´ vote
Underwhelmed by Sarah Darling — sweet voice but no meaning to the lyrics.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
89%? Oh please. So we’ve got another southern audience? This was just boring.
Ludacris once again nails it!
Luda is spot on again
Sidenote: If anyone thinks Ryan Seacrest isn’t amazing at what he does, just think of all these other hosts who just aren’t all that great at moving things along, Groban included.
that was a very quiet, probably too quiet, performance from Sarah. She’s got such a good voice, but that song requires more personality, I think
Sarah Darling was the best of the night.
Apparently, no.
My opinion of Seacrest has skyrocketed.
I suspect these performers would have an easier time showing personality if they were actually singing to an audience.
I was expecting a bigger bang but its country so what can you expect? It was still a good audition. I’m glad she made it through.
well they didn’t know each other :)
They’ve only got 1 million app downloads. Not a runaway success…
…that well. But he probably knew he would be voting for her before she performed. Eh?
“worship bands at church”. Oh boy, this kid is going through for sure. Sigh.
I agree about Ludacris. Hes actually critiquing.
WGWG ALERT
how long a journey can it be when you’re 16 yrs old?
WGWG who’s only 16! This is who Sam Woolf needed to be to fit on a TV show.
But he’s singing a naughty song
Ludacris just hit “No” to him. Ouch…
Luda has to help Brad say no. LOL
Next…….
Teen WGWG who prays is not Teflon.
Actually this kid reminded me a lot of Sam. Like Sam, he’s not ready for this.
LOL. Brad actually thinks this show will still be around in a couple of years.
More colorful personality, though, and way more into the song.
Poor kid was trying too hard to be ed sheeran
Brad and Kesha can go home. LUDA got this. LOL.
I actually like this but there is soooooo much filler. I’m used to watching my Idol tubies and being done in 25 minutes without packages or judge palaver.
They have an ad for every single audition? My head is going to spin @_@
Only one relative squeaker (73%) and no almost made its. All the losers lost big.
Colin wasn’t good but might have been better with different song.
Is it bad that a lot of these singers remind me of contestants that were on American Idol this season…
He has more personality than Sam Woolf
That makes it convienent when the west coast votes come in, that they really won’t have much affect on results.
All three judges just hit “No” so votes went down by 21% :-/
looks like they are going to have the girl they “surprisingly” pulled out of the audience go last
Oh how I miss The Glee Project.
I want to see Sebastian Bach audition on Rising Star.
I feel like we’ve seen the contestants that were on Idol the past couple of years before too. I agree about these. Pretty generic, nothing I haven’t seen before on these shows.
This is too darn slow
WGWG ALERT
Way……………… Too…………………………………. Slow.
Speaking of which this girl reminds me of Megan Joy.
nooooooooooooooooooooo
What an odd song choice for a girl with a guitar.
noooooooooooooooooooo
Did Ludacris collapse in despair at this?
Just checked it out. Made it though 1 1/2 hours in under 15 minutes. What would be the funniest is if NO ONE made it through. Then what would they do??
This not the end, it’s only the beginning
Too bad that girl Summer did not had the vocals. She really had the star quality.
Nah it’s always the end. Oh wait they could have her on The Voice 237. :)
Too late, 5 have gotten through so far.
I was joking.
Has Kesha said anything negative about anyone? She’s totally useless as a judge.
I don’t think this show is going to be the summer hit advertised.
This is the best Ken and company could get?
she’s going to get 99.9%
What? Her IG video was her music video with Kurt Schneider (Popular YT video producer)
Grobin needs to STFU!
OMG I seen that video on youtube
Her IG video looks like a professional video.
It is
It is. That’s why Josh was joking about it .
my app isn’t working for her performance anyone having the same issues
It’s the video she did with Kurt Schnieder and it got like 3 million views…….
She is really good but she is a plant right? Was she signed before?
She’s definitely good enough to get voted through, but I wasn’t blown away or anything (sorry Kesha). And again, I’m not buying that she didn’t know she was going to sing tonight, sorry
Yeah, too bad.
PLANT
She’s opened for Before You Exit (popular teen band) and has had high YT views)
Here’s her video… she’s the Christina Grimmie plant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6qFCqOy3HU
She looks kind of green and leafy to me.
she was on xfactor season 2
Why did they have to interview her in front of the audience before the audition? It was awkward and felt scripted lolz..
They were touting 1 million downloads, which in relation to population is behind the run rate for Brazil, were it had lots of problems.
I liked 5 of those 5 i loved 2! i think the talent was decent but not amazing. I will be tuning in next week to give it another whirl.
But that’s a cover of a song. Not an original. She probably just filmed that music video for promo & fun.
don’t think I’ll be watching this again
She did that video with Kurt Schneider……..Most videos on his channel get high views…….
Just to see what would happen, I clicked the download button and it listed the judges and Josh Groban’s cds in addition to the contestants. Not buying any of the contestants songs, they weren’t original enough.
I wasn’t that impressed by anyone tonight.
Exactly.. Kurt does alot with Sam Tsui and other youtube singing stars… even with Grimmie.
So I take it the show was terrible tonight? I decided to have family time sooner than watch this destined flop.
I wouldn’t avoid making plans conflicting with this, but it compares favorably with randomly leaving the house when it’s eleventy-one degrees beneath the merciless sun.
I don’t even know how that was even eligible for Rising Star………….
Summer Collins is trending on twitter. I didn’t see anything (or anyone else) from the show trend, but I could have missed it
I know… maybe need a Christina Grimmie like singer?
So if the west coast REALLY doesn’t like someone i.e. Maneepet by down voting her, does she get eliminated? That would be a cruel/cool twist.
I guess ……The video was posted almost a year ago
Each coast’s voting is separate. Only one coast needs to reach 70% for them to go through, I think. They talked about it at the beginning of the show.
I don’t think Idol and the Voice have anything to worry about .
well, West coast would then need the full 70% while the East Coast/Midwest can get it done with 49% and 21% from the judges.
Or will the judges votes also count or detract from the west coast, too? That’s what I think will happen.
Not gonna lie, I was pretty into voting on the app. But they’re going to dig themselves into a hole if they try anything bigger then that “surprise”.
Macy Kate is a plant like Christina Grimmie.
THR: TV REVIEW: ABC’s Rising Star http://t.co/7120PK4ZG
The Bottom Line
With excessive commercial breaks, too much talking and seemingly tranquilized celebrity “experts,” “Rising Star” is more of a sleeping giant.
TVLine: RISING STAR Premiere Recap: Wall-Eh http://t.co/NmOwrDg42a
“Yes, Rising Star‘s gigantic, much-touted barrier exhibited more humanity and enthusiasm than “experts” Kesha and Brad Paisley (and the contestants) combined. (Ludacris, at least, wasn’t dull while boogying his way through a series of “No” votes.) But great television cannot survive on the singular of an inanimate object alone. (Not unless we’re talking about the enduring ratings appeal of Kim Kardashian, anyhow.)”
I’m singing show weary.
Things I liked:
–We see every competitor: no montages, no person skipped in the audition edit who shows up at Top 36/30/24.
–All sob stories get equal time, which somehow makes them less irritating to me.
–Voting. Heavens, yes. I don’t think I’ve ever watched Idol’s auditions or Hollywood week. I despise non-voting weeks. Also, the app is dead easy to use: no special phone numbers, no busy signals, no Facebook site snafus, no pressure to power vote.
–LUDACRIS.
Not so much:
–Josh Groban and Brad Paisley. I’m temporarily giving Kesha a pass because the female judge is usually expected to act all maternal and caring, but my tolerance for her playing that role may not last.
It also seems weird to have no discussion predicting results, but I haven’t decided how I feel about that yet.
I don’t see how this can work for the west coast. If a contestant is already in with 70% or more before the show airs on the West coast, why vote it doesn’t matter. If East and West coast voted at the same time the contestant may not have gotten 70%. What if the East coast votes 70% and the West coast votes 50% that’s an average of 60% and the contestant shouldn’t go through, but they already through to the next round before the West coast even votes so West coast votes don’t really count.
I think the voting is a bunch of double talk by the powers that be.
If the show has more plants like her, it wouldn’t be as bad as it is. Just not a good idea for the contestants to audition live in front an audience (both studio and tv). Many other shows have auditions in front of live audience, but they are taped and most of the bad auditions are not shown. I know these are not really their first auditions and the bad ones should have been weeded out already, but nerves of singing in front of an audience for the first time on the show will affect most save for the more seasoned performers and the contestants here seems mostly green.
Really? They’re heavily drawn from what’s popular on Youtube, plus one actual pro. This crop generally isn’t people who only sang in the bathroom into a hairbrush.
I usually like Josh Groban but I thought he was annoying as a host. Talked way too much and too fast. Seemed very nervous. Only part I enjoyed on the show was Ludacris.
Daniel and Olivia got 17% on the West Coast
I’m co-limbo-ing with you on this…
we could predict ratings?
or we could predict (guess) the demo of the voters based on who went through and who didn’t…
Thank you, thank you again Sue! Saved me from having to watch this at 9 pm on the west coast. Have a nice week!
If ABC is this desperate for a singing show, a narcissistic, chain-smoking, botoxed, egocentric Englishman has one on ice ready for approval.
Colin Sam Woolf 2.0??? Dont think so. Sam may have bored many, but at his most boring, his voice was just gorgeous. This kid was both boring and very average. Agree with all other comments. The singers were terrible, the judges possibly worse. Extremely disappointing.
Well, I made it through about three performances before I bailed. Love Josh Groban as a singer, not so much as a host. And the judges? There really are no words to describe just how awful they are. So glad I don’t love this show. Now I can watch something else.
Just from the surveys and comments at various sites… this show HAS FAILED. Maybe rename the show to Falling Star?
So, Jessie/Sarah/Macy seem like the artists who Capital would sign without the show. I will say that much. I feel like if this had been on a cable channel, they probably could’ve aired it live on all time zones. It still would’ve sucked but… Lol
Those 49% are from the 79% who are not the “experts”, which means that it all the experts vote YES, they still need about 62% of the audience to vote YES, as well. So, it’s still more than half, at least.
I had to turn the channel. This show is awful. Panel awful, contestants awful, whole premise awful; did I say this show is awful? Epic (and I mean epic) Fail!! I will not be wasting anymore of my time on this show.
Ludicris seemed the most relaxed.
No, it doesn’t.
It wasn’t great. But the phone app was fun…all the little comments like, don’t go walk your dog, there’s more show to come.
I’m so sad Brad wasn’t funnier. He’s so funny in so many other contexts, maybe he needs more time/not just with the show, but in every segment–it’s hard to be as funny as he can be in 15 seconds or less? I don’t know. Darn.
I’m just a spectator, once removed. As in – mj’s videos.
The contestants get one minute thirty seconds to sing on this show?Just like Idol – if a song doesn’t lend itself to being chopped down, it won’t go over well. Not an improvement.
As usual, the comments were more interesting than the TV show – and I enjoyed how commenters dissected the judging, that was cool.
So I watched the video with Jesse, the kid who got the high score; he wasn’t bad. If he gets to sing more I ‘may’ be interested in what he can do with dynamics – this selection didn’t vary much. That low-level James T. Kirk style delivery when he’s talking is already annoying – so maybe he could just sing?
And just from that one video, I agree, Groban is NOT impressing me as a host…IDK if his vocal coaching is any good, but he could dial back the speed chatter. Nerves?
Show has potential. The live voting concept is really good, judges are alright and the host was pretty reliable since he also mentors the contestants. Apart from the staging, the judge’s seats and the studio needs to be redesigned so that it stands out from the other talent shows out there. I would also like to see some more contestants with actual ‘X-FACTOR’ – like someone with the total package (eg. looks, instrument-play, voice and moves).
Pick a number between 1 and “dire”?
In relation to our population, we should have had at least two million downloads to match our run rate with Brazil’s (where it’s not even really succeeding). Adoption was below that level. If most people are watching without using the app, I can’t imagine why — the voting gimmick is needed to make up for pacing that slogs, Josh Groban’s nervous chatter, and the discovery that Brad Paisley is all hat and no horse.
The Israeli version got better sob stories and singing rabbis.
was it just me, or did Kesha seem alot like Chrissy on Three’s Company?
I had to bail as well. Just saw voting results at TV Line. Fail (the #1 choice so far) and Subpar account for more than 52% of the votes currently.
I’m going with a 1.5 because… well… I’m feeling jiggy
I follow Brad on facebook, and he asked a few questions and got a lot of negative feedback with the positive. Lame show, not enough singing, plants, etc. etc. But a number of peolpe took issue with his very stupid comment re the one singer causing a seizure or something. A bunch of people who had epilepsy or were or knew someone who did were not amused. I wasn’t amused myself, and I didn’t even associate with with epilepsy. I’m sure Brad didn’t either. But it was totally unnecessary.
I watched the show out of curiosity and because I had nothing else I had to do just them. Won’t watch again. It was pretty bad.
Other than the Jesse, I liked Joshua the best. He reminded me of Vince Gill and I’d like to see what else he could do.
So talent wise, I thought this show got off to a bad start. Only two of the six that got through had any potential. The judges need to relax a bit and have more fun, I think Luda will be alright. Not sure about Kesha and the Brad. I like the real time voting though it occured to me it’s probably easier to get through at the top of the show than closer to the end. May be why the first two, who were not that good, got through. Josh Groban was a little annoying but I could tell he was nervous and I thought he did ok considering. I will probably watch at least once more to see if the talent get’s better.
Well, I missed that one, having already decided that Brad Paisley– whose autobiography I own and whom I used to admire for his music knowledge and sense of humor — had nothing to say that could possibly be worth my listening to him.
Way to win it, Paisley.
I have most of his CDs, but I’ve been a little frustrated with him in the last couple of years.
I turned it on for 30 minutes and then shut it off. Then when I was on Facebook chatting I saw lots of other people on my timeline did the same thing heh. I’ll be very curious to see the ratings for this mess.
One thing though, as far as Josh goes as host I’m willing to cut him some slack right now because it was the first show and his first time doing something like this. Its got to be nerve wrecking especially when its live TV. I know he’ll never be Ryan but IMO Ryan wasnt even so awesome from the very first episode of AI. Ryan had many years as host to get better and better and be the pro that he is now. Josh is pretty active on Twitter and I think he might be the type to read feedback and try and improve, iron out any kinks.
Could it be cancelled after one week? I gave up after the first 15. AGT which is a pretty bad show is about 1,000X better than this mess.
I think the singing talent show era is completely done. Maybe it’ll come back in five years or so and the performers will feel more fresh.
I only watch AI cause I would be burned out if I watched more singing competitions. I told my husband about it cause he watches parts of AI and the Voice. So, I said I would give it a try. But, I only lasted through about 3 singers and was too bored.
I only saw a small part of the show, but from what I did see, I must say that your blog is the best thing about it, MJ. I’ll keep up with it here.
It’s summer so I’m willing to give it another try. IA that most of the singers were either bad or so so but I did like Jesse, Macy, & Sarah. It’s kind of a fun premise and I liked voting that way.
I enjoyed the show and the concept! I agree with mj, Josh Grobin seemed to be a bundle of nerves, and had too much to say. Jesse Keech was awesome! I also thought Macey Kate was really good! I like Sarah Darling’s beautiful voice, but agree with some of the judges that the song she sang didn’t show off the range she has, and I felt it was a rather boring.song choice for a singing competition!
Sarah Darling was the best of the night without question, but after 12 years of trying to make it in Nashville– mutual friends with Country Superstars– and a good friend to Country Queen Carrie, she should have been the best. Sadly, she’s past her prime (so unfreaking fair, but true). What kills me the most is Idol had the chance to showcase an equally talented– just hitting her prime female soloist– and squandered it for this years lackluster cast. Sour grapes, I admit. But Brandy Neelly deserved better. I don’t get why the kid can’t catch a break.
looks like they’re using x factor’s old set
i can’t vote anyway as i neither have a tablet or an android phone